"Do you have polearms? I...could fly a horse, except that it would be a terrible idea for refugee-reminiscent reasons. You know what, I've always said it's good to be well-rounded. I can learn to ride a horse."

"Tyelcormo can probably warn a horse that you're going to fly it, though he'd need more than a few minutes' notice. As long as you can use magic to keep yourself from flying off you won't do worse than annoy it, and I can send you detailed physical instructions. Let's go."

"Alright."

They've permitted the enemy to close to within thirty miles of Himring because it simplifies communication and supply lines. Orcs aren't competent, just endless. He has a reputation at this point. They flee before him. It does not save them. I am trusting you can find things to do.

Yep. If there's anything more threatening than an orc around, she'll snipe it; otherwise she just introduces orcs to various painless yet lethal conditions.

This lasts all day. When the sun sets the Elves currently killing orcs rotate out in a rather practiced fashion. 

You're coming back with us, he says, our shifts are designed for Elves and not Men in the first place and no one should spend more than twelve hours on a horse the first time they're on a horse.

I mean if I minded pain I wouldn't be anywhere near this good as a mage but sure.

I'm not worried about pain, I'm worried you will topple off. 

I have magic for that!

In that case I will worry less. We're still headed in. You haven't eaten three meals today.

I'm not protesting that part, she says, and she does come back.

And he gets her food, and brushes Huan, and hums something under his breath that makes muscle aches lessen.

She eats, and then she tips her head back and sings. It's not magical, whatever she's singing, and it's in her language, and she's not osanweing the contents to anyone, and she is only human, but she's not bad for a human.

He smiles and listens for a minute and then comes up with something that harmonizes well and adds it in.

Wow.

When she's finished the song, she says, "That was a hymn to Aten. He might be fictional, but...he's part of my home. My culture. I don't want to forget. And I love the music for its own sake."

"It seems to me like making gods fictional strictly improves them."

"You may have something there," she giggles. "I'm going to start another one, do you want me to send you what it means?"

"I would."

She does. It's a song of praise to Aten-as-sun for all the good things the sun provides, like light and warmth and the fact that these things make plants possible.

"You know, I'm older than the Sun."

"...What, really?"

"Yes. When we were born the Valar had not yet set it in the sky; most of the world was lit only by the stars, and Valinor was lit by a gift of Yavanna, the Vala of plants, in the form of two enormous shining trees."

"Huh. Where I'm from, the Sun is a gigantic ball of burning stardust and the Earth orbits it." She creates an illusion of the Solar system. "Distances and sizes of various objects not to scale. The giant ball of fire in the middle is the sun, and that's the Earth," she says, pointing at the little blue ball third from the center.

"Cool. Not here; the Valar put the Sun and Moon in the sky, and keep them in motion."

"Considering the Valar's track record I am slightly nervous about this."